West Virginia Without a Key Starter for Big 12 Opener vs. No. 3 Iowa State

The Mountaineers will be a little shorthanded on Friday night.

Dec 9, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers players celebrate after defeating the Little Rock Trojans at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Well, as if things weren't already going to be challenging for West Virginia tonight, it just got even tougher. Late last night, the Big 12 availability report came out, and starting forward Brenen Lorient has been ruled out for the Mountaineers' Big 12 opener against No. 3 Iowa State.

The Big 12 requires teams to submit an availability report for all conference matchups, just like we saw for football this past season. This is to allow for transparency, which models the professional level, and also because of how big sports gambling has become. The teams are not, however, required to list the reasoning for a player being ruled out or being placed on the report.

Lorient was healthy in the team's last game against Mississippi Valley State on December 22nd, and head coach Ross Hodge did not mention anything about him during his Iowa State preview press conference on Wednesday. Odds are we won't find out the details of Lorient's absence until shootaround or perhaps in Hodge's postgame presser.

This will be the first game he has missed this season, leaving some big shoes for someone to fill. In 13 games, he's averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 54% from the floor and 36% from three-point range.

So, now what?

West Virginia University guard Chance Moore | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

With Lorient out, Jackson Fields and DJ Thomas will see increased minutes. There's no telling who will get the start if Hodge does indeed begin the game with one of them on the floor.

There's also a chance Hodge mixes things up and starts Chance Moore alongside Honor Huff, Jasper Floyd, Treysen Eaglestaff, and Harlan Obioha. Moore brings a different dimension to the offense and can loosen things up for Huff and Eaglestaff on the perimeter.

Fields, the Troy transfer, does have some starting experience, having started 60 games in his career. In the six games he's played this season, Fields is averaging 6.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

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